Amount: $15,000
2015
Tunica, MS
Tunica Teens In Action, returning to the docket, is a community led organization that works on a wide range of community issues, including addressing racism through community dialogues, youth leadership development and public policy development and advocacy. An intergenerational organization rooted in its Mississippi community, Tunica is 65% youth, 94% black and three percent Latino. In the past year, Tunica led a successful campaign to remove the superintendent of schools, who had rolled back hard-won reforms that had contributed to substantial improvements for Tunica students and made very plain his unwillingness to work with the community. The campaign’s success was double-edged: the replacement was appointed by the state, rather than the elected school board, and is acting as “Conservator.” Hazen’s grant will support Tunica’s campaign to ensure that the community’s voice continues to heard – and attended to – in education policy and practice in the district, including attendance at all public meetings called by or relevant to the school district. Tunica will play an active role in vetting superintendent candidates. The grant also will support the organization’s ongoing work with statewide partners to gain adequate funding for Mississippi schools.